“ In every victory let it be said of me, my source of strength, my source of hope, my source of success, my source of joy, my source of love, is Christ alone.”
Ahhh the spiritual walk- what a journey. It has those wonderful mountain top moments where you feel like you are soaring, you’re looking at all the views, you’re celebrating, taking mental pictures, and living it all in. Those are the moments you cherish, the ones you save for rainy days.
There are also those valley moments the lowest of lows when everything goes wrong and you feel as if you don’t belong in the world, you cry out to God, “Where are you, I thought you were supposed to be with me in this journey.” “Heeeeelllloooooo?” “Uhhh, life sucks.” But yet in God’s grace, He gets you up, He reminds you He’s there even in the valley of the shadow of death and life seems to make sense again.
So my question is, what are those in between moments- you know what we equate those moments on our hike—a rest stop? Well, sometimes it seems these rests stops are taking up the entire time of our hike. Where are the views, the miracles, the sunrise and the awe feelings?
It’s those moments—the regulars, the same ole’s where I feel the Spiritual walk is the most vague, frustrating, and depleting. They aren’t those moments when you’re balling in your room, during private prayer, worship, or your devotional feeling low, they are just those “Bleh” moments. In those times you ask yourself, “What happens now?” I would like to say these moments are character builders—because here you pray, but it seems like you’re not praying with enough faith—you’re going through just another day at work, another day in class, another test, just the same calculated boring routine. For the longest time I’ve asked, “So, what now?” It seems like these moments last months even years, until you can be on that high again- just writing this is depressing. So what now?
Keep. Going.
It dawned on me at some point that these moments are OK, but only with the constant seeking, the constant prayer, the constant desire to find God, the constant time with Jesus, without that big use awe-inspiring view. The prayers where you claim the promises but don’t feel like there is enough faith; when you go to church and observe your Sabbaths—it’s OK.
I’m reminded again of the Israelites arriving the Red Sea. They were waiting—they were in an in-between moment—in the anticipation stage—at the rest stop. Waiting desperately to see what would happen next. And in that moment God said it was OK. He told them to keep waiting.
Because regardless He is still constant and faithful.
He is still the same the God of the beautiful mountain top, He is the same God that holds you and protects you during the valley. He is the same faithful wonderful God. Those promises you claim in your journals and in your prayers, are still being answered- and I believe that in the midst of this blahze-ness God has to be doing something incredibly miraculous.
So I tell you keep going—because there are beautiful rest stops with their own views, keep faithfully trudging along on your hike—keep encouraging, keep placing one foot in front of the other, keep singing, keep reading, keep praising, and praying—because someday you’ll hear “ Well done good and FAITHFUL servant” It is about staying faithful during the “smalls,” the “regulars”… Ahhh the spiritual walk—what a journey.
Chantal Williams recently graduated from Andrews University as a doctor of physical therapy, and has been involved with Enspire Productions since 2011.